The Steps Towards Love
by rosalierose
Summary: Some moments between the Last Uchiha and Konoha's Weapons Mistress. SasuTen, slow burn.
1. Chapter 1

'' _It was the way she did things, that made her special from all the others''_

He watched her, sometimes. At first, it was mere curiosity and the overwhelming urge to do _something_. He was released from the hospital but Kakashi made it clear, in his own subtle and barely visible way that should he train or do something that took a considerable amount of body effort…the jounin whose hair defied gravity wouldn't feel absolutely any guilt in shoving all the useless D-rank missions on his back. Remaining a genin was unacceptable in his eyes and he wasn't about to test Kakashi's skills. That man, Sasuke learned, had a habit of knowing things that left you with a sense of paranoia and awe, but mostly paranoia and the need to look over your shoulder every few minutes, expecting to be watched. All doubts that he may have had about their sensei being a useless shinobi in the beginning were long pushed into the dust.

However, Kakashi never said anything about _observing_ , which was what he was currently doing at the moment. It was the closest thing that he could do as training besides reading scrolls with new jutsus and only getting frustrated that he couldn't apply anything that he had spent his time memorizing. Why her of all people, he didn't know. Few people, as far as he was concerned, could ever hope to…impress him and it was those who weren't even trying to earn his praise that ended up getting it.

Sasuke was focused with his back leaning against a tree, concentrating on her moves, on the way her hands let each kunai fly and the way they always hit the bull's eye, unperturbed by the wind or any other natural interference.

He soon realized with mild amusement that he was concentrating harder than she was, when it fact it was supposed to be the other way around. Sometimes, as if she knew he was watching, she'd close her eyes and fire her weapons towards the trees, where he was standing. It was almost like she tested his bravery and as that thought came to him, his pride reacted and didn't come to that particular training spot for a week.

When he did again, upon closer analysis, Sasuke realized that it wasn't his pride or ego that fuelled her actions, but curiosity. She wanted to know how much of her alone training schedules had he watched and if those were enough for him to trust her throwing her arsenal in his direction with her eyes closed.

If push came to shove, he could easily dodge, or at least that's what he told himself because that theory never got to be tested.

She never missed her target and if all the kunai and shuriken went past him like he was some sort of disease, it was not because of luck. He was never the target of her attacks and unless one day she decided to change her trajectory, he was free to watch.

Sasuke stood unblinking with his hands in his pockets, looking at her serene expression as she closed her eyes and launched her arsenal. _Tenten_ trusted her weapons and he trusted her skills.

 **A\N: I don't know where I am going with these but I like the idea of Sasuke and Tenten despite the fact that I am a NejiTen shipper. I think this story will contain one-shots about moments between them. They are inclined towards romance, but not the cheesy kind since they are pretty serious and levelheaded characters not to mention, shinobi. I just hope Sasuke wasn't too OOC.**


	2. Chapter 2

'' _He was never someone you could ignore, that she realized soon enough.''_

She didn't know if he knew because he didn't show any indication that he did but he could had very well noticed and chose to ignore it. It wouldn't be out of his character, because one: Sasuke was anything but stupid, as far as she was aware of, he was the most perceptive one from their bunch, a spot she had thought only Neji could fill and second, he was quiet, aloof, _indifferent_ to things that weren't his concern or even mildly interesting.

Yes, Tenten was sure now that he knew she was watching him but chose to look the other shoulder and honestly? She preferred it that way. No need to start awkward conversations.

If he could ignore her, she couldn't, not anymore, at least. Despite not being a prodigy or having any special skills, shinobi below jonin could never hope to sneak up on her. It was something every weapon master earned and that was a natural sensor. She just knew when people were close by. It was her job after all. What if one day she turned blind? What would happen to her kunoichi career then? What would happen to her dreams and ambitions to prove that girls can be equally strong if not more than boys?

Relying mostly on weapons, also meant relying mostly on sight and that flaw could easily end her life or job. That's why Tenten took it upon herself to learn to hit her targets with eyes closed. It could only serve as an advantage in the long run.

Her trainings methods pushed aside, she stood concealed by a bush and observed him train. There was grace in every move he made. The katas were portrayed with light feet, the punches that he would hit the tree barks with were strong but also blinded by anger; they were a bit sloppy but they did their job although Tenten didn't like the haunted look in his eyes; it was as if he was seeing an enemy, an opponent that she could not spot.

There were times when Sasuke practiced with weapons, _her specialty_ and those were also the times that she felt the need to come out from her hiding spot and offer him advice. Not, don't get her wrong, he was good, better than most genin because that's what being a genius entails, right? You know how to do everything good, but good doesn't mean perfect and she always felt obliged to step in and help.

But then she told herself that he wouldn't accept it and that she was wasting her time thinking about ways to improve his approach with throwing kunai because he would see it as an insult to his pride, not how it really was.

So she stopped coming to where she knew he trained but that didn't mean she stopped watching him. It was outstanding and annoying at the same time the way her eyes would flicker in his direction whenever he was close in vicinity.

Anyone else and it would have been ridiculous but Tenten realized that as much as the sky was blue and Lee was passionate about youth, he ignored people but people could never hope to ignore him.

 _Sasuke_ wasn't someone that you could ignore.


	3. Chapter 3

B They were more alike than Tenten thought was possible. They had their pride and they were confident in their skills but the most noticeable similarity of all was.. _.their refusal to lose._

More like, their refusal to admit defeat and recognize that a fight was over but not with them as a winners.

She didn't realize Sasuke had that problem because as far as she had seen and heard, he always won and whoever was unlucky enough to be his opponant lost. It was basic knowledge around their age group.

She? She was used with _losing_. She didn't like it when it happened but it did and no matter how much she tried to come up with excuses later...the truth was the truth. She was _weaker_ than the other party.

But Sasuke didn't know any other outcome than the one where he came out victorious...or at least that's what Tenten thought until recently.

Naturally, after the Third Hokage's death, the elders were stuck with a very important choice. Who will become their leader?

Thus why she was running some errands one sunny morning and heard the news. _Tsunade of The Sannin_ was now their Fifth Hokage. Her childhood idol was going to rule over Konoha.

Her joy increased in proportions when she realized what her arrival meant. Lee could be healed, his career and dream wasn't over. Not with Tsunade, the best medic-nin in the Elemental Nations around.

So like any good friend and teammate, Tenten decided to pay Lee a visit at the hospital.

He was outside doing push-ups when he should have been laying in bed but she couldn't find it in herself to scold or judge him. He couldn't accept his condition and he shouldn't even have to, not when there was _hope_.

However, her smile died off her lips when she passed by Tsunade talking with one of the doctors around.

Uchiha Itachi. She heard that name a couple of times, among the villagers. It was whispered and said in hushed tones as if people were afraid the S-ranked criminal was going to come out from somewhere and kill them.

And maybe they were right to be afraid.

He had massacred almost an entire clan and he had come to torture the last remaining survivor. He had come to mess with Sasuke, as if his mind didn't suffer enough already.

The thought made her angry and Tenten didn't bother to analyze why. She just knew one of their own got hurt by family no less and that no one should have to go through that.

Sasuke lost in the fight that counted the most and she knew she would never understand how that feels like. You could sympathize but never emphatize. You had to feel the same pain in order to do that.

However, Tenten couldn't have stopped her legs from taking her to his hospital room even if she tried.

She didn't.

With shaky fingers, the bun haired kunoichi willed her hands to close into fists and knocked with one of them on the door, waiting.

For a while, the sound of her herarrctic heartbeat was the only echo heard in the hallway until his voice gave her the approval she needed to enter inside.

She almost wished she hadn't.

There was so much... _hate_ in his eyes. Not directed at her, she knew but it still managed to throw her off a bit.

Endless pools of black met her gaze, eyebrows just slightly raised in a questioning manner and it took Tenten about five seconds to realize that was Sasuke's way of demanding why she was there.

They had hardly ever talked but if their constant observing of each other's training sessions counted, they weren't strangers.

But not friends either.

"It's not the end of the world." She had began, her eyes flickering around the room as she gathered her courage to keep going. "Sulking and glaring at people won't change what happened." with every word, her body got braver, bolder and Tenten was soon standing near his bed. "Sooner or later you will get your rematch Sasuke but before that time comes...make sure there will still be people left to celebrate with after you win."

She had looked into his eyes when she said the last part, hoping her message got across and hoping she didn't stamp over a line that she shouldn't have.

Tenten had come to say what she had in mind and that was all there was to it. She knew the feeling of losing, not to the extent Sasuke had experienced but bad enough.

She had wished someone would have told her something more than lies and sugar-coated praises to comfort her after she lost against Temari. Something else other than meaningless questions such as: _'How are you feeling?'_ or stupid sentences like _'Everything is going to be okay_.'

People couldn't know that. She couldn't know if she would ever be on par with Temari and she honestly has no idea what the outcome of Sasuke's future battle with Itachi will be but there was something that she didn't doubt in the slightest.

 _They were going to fight tooth and nail to win next time._

The problem was remembering that winning tastes bitter with no one around to share it with. She visited Sasuke to make sure he didn't forget that. Nothing else.

But as she closed the door behind her, even a blind man could have felt how relief washed over her body. Tenten had been glad that he was alive...she just didn't realize it back then.

 _Couldn't_.

Because that would have meant she cared and that would have ended the things they had in common.

* * *

 **A/N: I haven't updated this story in so long because this is a hard pairing to write. I love it but it is difficult. Anyways, this moment takes place after Itachi puts Sasuke and Kakashi through his genjutsu. The next chapter will contain Sasuke's reaction to what Tenten said to him. There is a reason why I didn't write it here.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I haven't updated this story in forever and I was looking through some old pieces of writting when I came across this story and inspiration hit me out of nowhere. I decided this story needed some closure since I left you guys in the dark about Sasuke's decision and reaction regarding Tenten's advice.**

 **I also realized that the title doesn't really work since this story can be barely called a friendship fanfic, much less a romance one. However, I'm not changing it. If you wish for me to continue and deepen the bond between Sasuke and Tenten, I will and the story will deserve it's title.**

 **I'm sorry for any out of character behaviour regarding this chapter. Sasuke is one tough cookie to figure out but I did my best and I hope that at least a small part of this sounds like him. If not, I apologize beforehand for having wasted your time. That is, considering that people will actually continue reading this or haven't completely forgotten about it.**

* * *

He hated talking.

He had always hated the sound of his voice because it was a constant reminder of how weak he was and how much he screamed and cried _that_ night.

But Sasuke never hated the sound of people talking as much as he had at the moment. Naruto's loud outbursts, he could handle with a glare. Sakura's annoying pestering, he had learned to ignore. Kakashi's stupid excuses would pass by his ears and would only cause one of his eyes to twitch.

However, hearing all of them, his teammates, senseis that he had never cared to know, The Fifth Hokage, people in general fuss over him like he was nothing but a mere child made his already strong dislike of communication increase.

Sasuke didn't have time to sulk over such petty matters though. Itachi deserved his full attention and he was a fool for believing, even for one second, that his older brother had forgotten about him.

Causing the Uchiha Massacre wasn't enough, it seemed. _He_ had to come and threaten Team 7, had to remind him that he could take everything away from him once again.

Gripping the edge of his bed in anger, he came to a realization that he had wanted to ignore, wanted not to be true. He couldn't remember a time when he wanted so badly to be wrong before but he wasn't. Staying in Konoha was going to hold him back from achieving his goal. The truth had never been much clearer. Lord Third died by the hands of Orochimaru, Kakashi was defeated by Itachi.

If he wanted to succeed in getting his revenge and to honour the Uchiha name, he had to be stronger than _this._

At the sound of knocking, Sasuke released his hold on the metal edge of the bed, settling his hand near the other one.

He didn't want anymore visitors, didn't want to see more pity looks thrown his way or hear any more trival information or tolerate any other attempts at making conversation.

But, he figured that he will indulge one more person. He was going to leave Konoha soon enough and while he may act like an ungrateful brat sometimes ( yes, he wasn't that conceited to believe he was perfection reincarnated because if he were, his clan massacre would have never happened and his brother would be six feet underground and that snake would be in prison and the thoughts of betraying his village would have never crossed his head ) but he couldn't completely clean with a sponge the fact that he had been taken care of by Konoha and it's people, in their own way and he at least owed them the minimum of courtesy and tolerance before he left and cut all ties with them.

Later that day, Sasuke will regret the manners and noble behaviour that his mother had made sure to teach him before she passed away.

"Come." he allowed, bracing himself for the arrival of a bright blur of orange before he reminded himself that the idiot doesn't have enough common sense to knock.

When Tenten, of all people walked in, back straight and chin up, as if she was preparing for an opposition from his part, Sasuke didn't know how to react.

But glaring at her with a gaze full of hatred surely wasn't the right way with someone who as far as he was aware of, neither worshipped the ground he walked one, neither hated him and neither cared for his Uchiha genes.

 _Then why is she here?_

Sasuke made his curiosity know with an arch of one of his eyebrows, both a demand and a test but unlike most people that had come and gone that day, the bun haired kunoichi remained firm and mostly unaffected by his nothing short of intimidating posture or hard cold eyes that it baffled him.

So he stood, attention focused soley on her as she made the effort of talking about things that she had no right to but not even for a second did she say that she understood his pain but he saw it in her dark chocolate eyes. Tenten knew failure and the frustration of being second best. She knew that you could only stand so many pity looks and words of comfort until you snapped.

And she cared enough about him to let him know.

Her words stayed with him long after she was gone and he didn't know if saying something would have made any difference.

He wanted to raise his voice and tell her that she knows nothing of what he had gone through before he stopped himself with the realization that other than their skills, they were still strangers and unknown to each other on so many levels.

Who was he to judge when he knew nothing of her past, of her family?

Tenten left as she came, determinated, stubborn, ignorant of what he thought about the matter and quick.

Sasuke believes that her words failed where it counted the most.

 _They stayed when she didn't._

And if he was still in the hospital when the sun came up, Sasuke figured that strength came in different forms and somebody who could torture him with just words meant that Konoha still had some things left to teach him. 


	5. Chapter 5

She had never thought of herself as someone who can change people. That role, Tenten had decided after the fiasco at the Chunin Exams, belonged solely to Naruto. It says a lot about a person who used just a few words and his fists and yet succeeded at what others, older and stronger than him weren't capable of.

 _That goofball changed Gaara and Neji._

So when she had been called in by The Fifth Hokage only to see a familiar back with the Uchiha fan on ...she remained a few seconds frozen in the doorway.

 _He hadn't left the village..._

"Come, Tenten."

She was dragged away from her musings by her former idol before she quickly closed the door, stopping besides Sasuke and bowing.

"Tsunade-sama." she greeted, voice firm and sure.

Tenten watched The Slug Princess reply with a nod before she placed her hands under her chin, a sign that let her know she was going to talk business.

"Now that you are both present, I can brief you on the mission I have assigned you to. The damyo of the Land of Iron asked Leaf nin to investigate a situation that keeps repeating itself. The weapons they used for contests were, at first glance, blunt. Or they were supposed to be. However, after the lord had checked them to make sure his people won't be in danger, the games began and some of the competitors suffered serious injuries. "

"If some and not all were injured, they might be targets. A contest arranged by the damyo would be the perfect opportunity to strike." Sasuke concluded.

"That's what I want you to find out. Just assuming with no proof isn't going to cut it."

"Gomen Tsunade-sama but how is this mission ranked?" she had to ask. It sounded too dangerous and important for genin, especially since one of them had just been released from the hospital.

"C to B level. Don't get me wrong, you two. You won't do the fighting. You will go there, undercover, as the damyo's nephews who had come to visit. You will find out who changed the weapons and why only some of them have been injured. Once you discover these pieces of information, you will report to me. I will send a jonin to finish the mission. Is that clear?"

She could almost feel Sasuke's disapproval radiate off him and around the room.

Tsunade, not one to be taken lightly, glared down at the two of them. It was in that moment she realized that she had also refused to give an affirmative answer.

"Clear as crystal, right Sasuke?"

Her heart almost burst out of her chest when Kakashi-sensei's voice echoed behind her.

 _I didn't even know he was inside_ _the room._

One glance at the boy besides her told Tenten that he hadn't expected his teacher either. It was only a shift in his left eye that betrayed the surprise but alas she has been teammates with a certain emotionless Hyuga prodgy for almost two years.

She was fluent by now in ice cube body language.

"Hn."

...in monosyllabic talking as well.

"Hai!" she voiced out loud her affirmative answer.

"Good. You will be leaving tomorrow at dusk. Dismissed."

The bun haired kunoichi bowed and turned around, prepared to leave before Tsunade stopped her. "Stay Tenten. I have something else I want to discuss with you."

She didn't know if she was supposed to feel important or worried.

 _Probably both._

Later that day, Tsunade's words kept echoing in the back of her mind like a mantra over and over again. There was a time when hearing people complain about their minds refusing to let them sleep brought amusement to her.

Now, as she was struggling with the same issue, Tenten was anything but amused.

She was pissed.

 _For Kami's sake, I have a mission tomorrow and it's not with anyone but with Sasuke...ugh, he is why I can't get my sleep._

Placing a pillow over her head, she put pressure on it, thinking that maybe, just maybe, it'd force the thoughts out of her head.

But when her mind finally seemed to have listened...her neighbour's baby started crying. Loud and high and annoying and...constant.

She blew a tired sigh and pressed the pillow over her ears this time.

 _It was going to be a long night._

* * *

The Land of Iron was much farther away than she had thought and her lack of sleep was beginning to show in more ways than just the dark circles under her eyes.

And there was the issue of silence. Why she considered it to be a issue? Because being part of Team Guy also meant having to endure loud exclamations and speeches about youth.

And when there weren't these, her mind was left to her own devices which more often than not was a bad thing but right now Tenten was too tired to scold herself like she usually did.

The unreasonable part of her brain however was quick to whisper that the reason why her demons weren't acting out was because of a certain Uchiha prodgy.

And in a way she could see why. Sasuke didn't have to say anything at all because his mere presence spoke volumes. So much so that he reminded her of Neji.

Whenever they sparred or they were left alone by Guy and Lee's passionate training methods and inhuman schedule, there was the same kind of comforting silence.

The two as much as they would scoff if she ever dared to voice out loud their similarity would probably grudgingly admit to themselves that she was right.

People often overlooked her because she didn't have flashy jutsus, crazy stamina, a kekkei genkai or a clan, forgetting that at first glance basic skills could turn out to be far more deadlier because of the simple fact that understimation leaves many openings.

She noticed more than people gived her credit for.

But Tenten forgot she wasn't alone in that aspect.

"Hn, we will take a break."

Sasuke's voice cut through the silence like a sharp kunai. It came so sudden and unexpected that she almost stumbled over her feet. The times she heard him speak were so few and so rare that whenever it happened it always caught her by surprise.

This time, that surprise was doubled by the actual meaning behind his words. Upon looking closer at the dark haired Uchiha, Tenten was left utterly confused.

 _He looks as if he could walk miles without stopping. So why..._

 _Oh._

She didn't need a mirror in order to realize that she probably looked like a ghost. Anything but the picture of a strong kunoichi.

"I'm fine, we don't have to take any breaks. If we do, we won't be able to reach the Land of Iron until nightfall."

She hoped that she sounded more convincing than how she looked and that Sasuke's ability to see reason will triumph over Konoha's morals to put the team before the mission.

Besides, she tried telling herself that it was not her pride talking but the cold judgement of a ninja. Tenten also chose to ignore the fact that she would have made the same suggestion if she noticed him tired or hit by the after effects of his encounter with Itachi.

"The damyo won't hold another series of games until we arrive. If we reach the Land of Iron today or tomorrow won't make any difference."

 _Well...that makes sense, I suppose...but still. This does damage my pride. If I can't even last a few hours on a roadtrip then I'm a disgrace to all the kunoichis around the world._

 _However, what's more important? The outcome or the means? Kami-sama knows how much I wished Guy-sensei and Lee would give me and Neji a break once in a while._

"Alright." the bun haired girl eventually agreed. What choice did she have? The mission had only began, she didn't want a fight to break out already. It was in everyone's best interest if they worked togheter like a well oiled machine.

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter is not so interesting but it's the start of Sasuke's and Tenten's bond. I'm taking my time with developing it slowly but surely. That being said, the next chapter will be definitely more action packed and probably much longer too.**

 **Ja ne!**


	6. Chapter 6

They reached the Land of Iron the next day in the afternoon. Personally, he could have walked all night but he had someone else to think about.

All members of a team have to be in top shape and even then, the mission could go wrong. Sasuke wasn't about to let Tenten tire herself out although he knew where she was coming from. They had that in common. _Pride._ And if the elderly people back in Konoha were to be believed, that might just be their downfall one day.

 _But not today._

He thought, fingers clasping around his chopsticks as he watched his surroundings. The damyo was a cheerful, bright man, who made jokes, laughed at them, then laughed when he realized his subjects didn't get them. He was fat, clad in robes made of silk and if somebody had told him the sky was green, he would have believed it.

Something didn't add up.

Often, people from certain lands each had a set of flaws and qualities that more or less matched the name of said region. One would think that the damyo of the Land of Iron would be as harsh and unyelding as the country he rules.

And if that he could pass as an exception, the guards situated at the doors of the dinning room, counting their golden coins and grinning slyly as if they had just won a bet definitely rubbed him the wrong way.

"Something wrong?"

He adverted his eyes, facing Tenten who was looking at him with a curious expression. When he looked down at his plate that was still full, he understood why the question.

"Hn, I'm not hungry." he replied, letting down his chopsticks.

"My nephew, do you want me to call the medic?" the damyo asked, playing his role, but concerned for one of the shinobi that he had hired.

Sasuke truly believed showing that much worry was impossible. It couldn't possibly be geniune.

"No need, uncle." he rose from the table and left the room.

He had to investigate. See and hear things, get information if he wanted for the situation to get cleared up.

Tenten was having a bad day and when that happened and she didn't have her targets to take her fury out on, well...people recieved it. Mostly Lee and sometimes Neji when even her adoration for him couldn't stop her.

 _Stupid Uchiha, walking out on me like that._

She had finished her meal, excusing herself and went out to find Sasuke. Which proved to be as difficult as finding a needle. She didn't bother to check out the rooms of the mansion but that still left her with many possible options.

The Land of Iron was bigger than Konoha and she wouldn't put it past Sasuke to get far away from the damyo's territory. He didn't let his expression show it but the fact that he had been standing and not eating, eyes barely flickering gave Tenten enough reasons to believe that he was onto something.

And he didn't seem willing to share his suspicious with her.

 _Is this because we had stop for me the other day?_

She gripped the kunai in her pouch tighter as her speed intensified. She knew she was supposed to be keeping up an image of a dandy and elegant high born lady but she allowed herself to act like the ninja she was born to become while running through the woods.

She knew Sasuke wouldn't be around here but she needed to calm herself before she found him and what better way to do so than feeling the thrill and the wind blow? If somebody were to ask her, Tenten will blame Gai-sensei for her willingly seeking out the peace only nature could install.

When the forest ended and the down town began, a smile creased her lips.

 _I'm ready to find that stick-up-his-ass Uchiha now!_

When she did find him, the sun was beginning to set and Sasuke was busy glaring at the ground as if it had offended him greatly.

"Didn't I just tell you a while ago that glaring at it doesn't make the problem go away? It's still there, whether you like it or not." she said, sitting down next to him on a vivid green colored bench.

And looking around her, the bench wasn't the only thing painted in painfully bright colours. It struck her as odd this aspect, in a country that was supposed to look and feel like iron. The people also seemed very happy and eager to please, not that it's a bad thing. Just strange. Maybe this was bothering Sasuke?

"I asked around. Everybody told me the same thing. The damyo's happy go lucky attitude isn't a farce." he ignored her comments althogheter, speaking in a neutral tone.

"He is...too much, I agree but so are Naruto and Lee. If they exist, who's to say only Konoha has such people? Not everyone is out to get us, Sasuke." she paused, smoothing down her yellow pants. She had refused to wear a kimono, and for today she had gotten things her way, but tomorrow she will have to suck it up because it was part of the mission and the contest was to take place from dusk till dawn. "Anyways, you could have said something to me earlier instead of going off alone. I get it. You love privacy, I don't think there is somebody who doesn't but for this mission we are a team and we will act as such."

If Sasuke was surprised, he did a very good job at not showing it. He just gave a grunt and for her own sake Tenten chose to take that as one of agreement. They stood a little longer there in silence which was not weird or uncomfortable.

"Hn, let's head back to the mansion. As far as everyone knows, the damyo's nephew and niece aren't supposed to be out at this hour." he broke it first, standing up and giving her an expectant look.

Later when they reached the damyo's home, Tenten was ready to retreat in her chambers for the night but Sasuke seized her wrist and dragged her into his.

"Why did you..."

"Planning. We don't go out tommorow without one." he interrupted her, letting go of her hand and lighting up a candle by making a very small fireball.

It left her in awe for a few seconds before she snapped out of it, crossing her legs in meditation style.

"What do you have in mind?" 


	7. Chapter 7

She had to admit, even though she wasn't the girly type, that being taken care of by attendants was... _nice._

And if she closed her eyes, she could pretend, for just a moment, than in another lifetime, another existence, she'd choose this kind of life.

But for this one, she was a kunoichi, whose hands have already spilled blood, whose eyes had seen death and whose heart was beating for her village, for protecting her loved ones and fighting against any foe who wished them harm.

When one of the girls, Misao, reached out to ruin her twin buns, her hand had reached out in reflex, catching the girl's wrist inches away from her hair.

 _I accepted to wear a kimono but this is pushing it!_

She thought before puffing out, already feeling tired despite the fact that the action hadn't even started yet. Releasing the girl's hand after gripping it quite tightly, Tenten tried to amend the situation by laughing nervously and rubbing the back of her neck. "Sorry, I just really like my buns, you know?"

Which was as close to the truth as she could manage to say. The rest would be too painful for her and she had a mission to fulfill.

Tenten dimly wondered as she dodged another attempt at having her face painted with makeup how well was Sasuke taking _this._ If he even accepted to put up with this torture in the first place.

A loud shriek coming from the other side of the palace let her know that she was being docile compared to the dark haired Uchiha. No, that shirek was too girly to belong to a guy so he must have scared one or all the girls sent to help him get ready for the contest.

"I think you did more than enough. Thanks." she spoke before literally bolting out the door, of _her own chambers_ no less. Not that it mattered.

 _That glitter isn't getting anywhere close to my face._

As she made her way towards the males wing in daybroatlight, Tenten kept her chin up in a defiant manner, not caring if the men around gived her scandalous looks. None of them tried stopping her until she reached Sasuke's room. The sight that greeted her was a closed door and surrounding it was a couple of young girls bailing their eyes out.

 _Can't say I'm surprised._

She wasn't, at least not until an old man in fancy clothing came bursting out crying just as hard, if not worse, than the girls.  
"He is perfection and yet he won't let me make him shine!" the hag declared dramatically, wildly gesturing with his hands that frankly, Tenten couldn't blame Sasuke for kicking him out.

But that didn't make it okay. They had to start setting their plan in motion so the bun haired kunoichi pulled out her handkerchief, giving it to the weeping elder who introduced himself as Akio, the one in charge of most clothes,jewerly and the likes between loud and totally unecessary hiccups. He took it from her hand, blowing his nose and nodding in gratitude and she awkwardly patted him on the back, half mumbling a "there, there" before declaring that she was going inside to reason with Sasuke.

She knocked and waited and when she heard nothing but stubborn silence, Tenten sighed. "It's just me."  
Everybody watched in disbelief as the door unlocked and she stepped inside, closing the door in their faces.

She found Sasuke in front of the mirror, glaring yet again and she pitied whoever thought that sending a bunch of girls to attend him was a good idea.

 _Next time, we should come with a warning._

After all, she wasn't that much better herself since she ended up bruising that girl's wrist.

"Hn, I don't want to hear it." he grunted under his breath, fingers twitching clumsly to wrap his kaku-obi around his waist.

Clumsy was one of the last words she would have thought to describe Sasuke but at the moment, that's how he was. It was probably because he was silently fuming.

"I wasn't going to say anything." she replied, coming to stay behind him and gently placing her hands on top of his. Tenten felt him tense,probably not comfortable with such close proximity unless during combat or sparring. When he made no attempt to pry her hands off, she took charge, tying the kaku-obi around his waist before looking up at their reflexion in the mirror.

She wondered if the person who chose the clothes made them match on pourpose. Sasuke's kimono was dark blue, matching his unruly hair while the robe and obi were black. Hers on the other hand was red with white roses embroided.

"Mother used to do this for me during tea ceremonies or weddings." he said, voice as neutral as he could have possibly made it when talking about such a sore subject.

Now she understood his anger, if only a little bit. Her kaa-san had never been present in her life but she imagined feeling her loss would have been more painful if she had gotten used to having her around only to lose her after a few years.

Tenten tried not to let her surprise show. She didn't know what she could say to that and some part of her believed Sasuke didn't need more words of comfort and empty praises. He had probably gotten enough to last him a lifetime. So she let another kind of words slip past her mouth and only gived one of his hand a squezze. She didn't know why she did it, maybe it was to let him know that it was okay to be angry but not at people who had nothing do to with what happened.

"I never knew my mother and the only thing I've got that lets me know she even existed is a picture. She wore her hair in twin buns that day and I've been wearing my own hair like that ever since I learned how to make it." she paused, suddenly feeling stupid for sharing something that at best bored him and at worst didn't interest him in the slightest but then Sasuke gived her an expectant look, silently urging her to go on and she continued "I hurt one of the servants when she tried to release the buns."

When he squezzed her hand back, Tenten felt like a huge weight had just been lifted off her heart.

"Thank you." his reply was curt yet gentle, meeting her eyes in the mirror and it might have been just a fickle of her imagination, but she felt like that look was supposed to tell her so much more than that but alas his mouth was not ready to comply.

And that was okay. The simple fact that he trusted her enough to share a bit of his heartbreaking past and that he listened to hers in return was _more_ than enough _._

"Lady Tenten, Lord Sasuke, are you two ready?" Akio asked with a trembling voice from the other side of the door, effectively breaking the spell between them.

The dark haired Uchiha lowered his hands from her own, putting some distance between them before walking out, making the girls wipe their eyes furiously before making lovestruck faces that frankly made Tenten stiffle a laugh as she followed him.

He glared at her reaction, _was his misery that amusing to her?_ before reaching the damyo's chambers, executing a perfect bow.

"My dear children, you look wonderful! Sasuke-kun, you will grow to be a fine man one day and Tenten-chan, my sweet flower, you will catch the eye of many suitors in the nearby future." the damyo clad in ceremonial robes told them, all smiles, coming over to kiss both of their cheeks.

It was expected of him, Sasuke supposed and yet that didn't change the fact that it took everything not to duck when he approached him. It was a stark contrast and a monumental difference between this fat overly cheerful man and his deceased tou-san.

Uchiha Fugaku had been the epitome of cold and indifference. A man who rearly showed affection and when he did, he did it so subtlely that if Sasuke had blinked, he would have missed it. It made the rare occassions when he patted his head and called him 'son' all that more precious to him.

After the pleasantries were exchanged, they made their way outside the castle and into the higher platform of the fighting arena. The damyo and his family as well as him and Tenten all had special seats, fit for their ranks. Each competitor walked up the few stairs there were to give his pleasantries to the damyo. A few even adressed him, bold enough to request a spar after the contest ended. It made him smirk and consider accepting their offer. A few young boys but still older than him swore their devotion and love to his mission partner which was as ridiculous as it sounded.

Tenten didn't strike him as the type to indulge them but she didn't brutally refused them like Sakura often did with Lee and the dobe; accepting their compliments and wishing them good luck.

"Hn, you are giving them false hopes." he muttered from besides her, eyes facing ahead.

"They were polite. If they acted like jackasses, I would have returned the favour." she replied, smoothing down her kimono before leaning closer to him. "We have about 10 minutes before the first match begins." Tenten whispered before she began to fan her face only to complain loudly in the next second. "This heat is too much for me. You will have to excuse me, uncle. I need some cold water and the soothing relief your palace offers."

Immediatly, servants jumped to tend to her need before she waved them away to gracefully stand up.

Sasuke took that as his cue to step in when she faked feeling dizzy, hands clasping around her shoulders to steady her. "I will go with her, with your permission" he replied, waiting for the damyo's nod of approval before taking the brunette away from the stands and inside the palace.

Once inside, he let her go, ignoring the grin Tenten sent him and walking towards the armory.

He knew he lost her when her dark chocolate eyes gleamed with awe and she rushed, going towards every weapon in the room, marvelling at it either out loud or silently, depending on how good the weapon looked.

Sasuke crossed his arms against his chest, back leaned against the wall as he watched her. Genius he may be, but this was Tenten's area of expertise and he saw no reason in meddling.

"Ow, this one is definitely not blunt."

Her _proud?_ exclamation snapped him out of his thoughts and he approached to see her thumb inside her mouth but eyes still fixed on the steel blade. It was a sword, unique in style and he knew why Tenten had chosen to touch it despite being able to figure out if weapons were blunt or not just by observing them.

What unnerved him, however, was her contamplating silence.

"The others?" he pressed, knowing they don't have much time before the competitors come to take their weapons.

Tenten shook her head, confused, as if she hadn't felt this way in a very long time. "I don't get it. All of them are blunt but this one."

Sasuke narrowed his eyebrows, thinking over the posibilities. "There could be only one more target left."

The bun haired kunoichi besides him shook her head, not convinced, eyes fixed on the blade as if it could reveal to her all of the world's secrets. "It's something else. I have a feeling..." her words got interrupted by the door bursting open as a servant came inside.

"'M'lady, m'lord, it's chaos outside! The competitors are falling like snow in winter and the fighting didn't even begin!"

His eyes widened the same time as hers did. _They know about our mission and they choose another method to carry out their plan._

"How?" Sasuke asked, gritting his teeth togheter before Tenten started convulsing in front of him. He took her hand, spotting the injured finger turning a sickly shade of purple.

 _Damn it._

He cursed under his breath, scooping her up in his arms but then the servant pulled out a torch and it didn't take a genius to realize he was a traitor too.

"The poison was specifically for her. Master told us who you really were and he said a weapons addict wouldn't be able to resist. Seemed he was right."

Sasuke gently lowered Tenten to the ground before taking the sword and driving it into the idiot's chest, taking the torch before it could have fallen to the ground. Then he returned to the brunette, picking her up again relieved when he found a pulse. She had stopped convulsing in the meantime, now she was burning with fever. Her body was fighting to take out the poison.

 _Tsunade was right._

And it had never bothered him more.

 **A/N: Hey guys! I want to thank you for the support and I hope the characters weren't OOC in this one. I'm leaving you with a cliffhanger but oh well, where would be the fun if I wouldn't?**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey guys! I will be honest with you. I really did feel awful after the anon who left that insulting comment on my story but seeing you supporting me made me think that it's not worth getting upset over and that it's no reason for me to stop writing about one of my favourite pairings, especially when I've got you impatiently waiting for the next chapter. So I decided to return with this and ignore what the anon wrote. Also, I want to personally thank:**

 **Werewolf6: You have no idea how happy your message made me! Thank you so much and I'm happy to know you are a SasuTen fan!**

 **Coconut: Gracias for defending me and praising my story! I'm glad you like it! Sorry that I can't answer back to you in Spanish. I understand the language but I can't write it or speak it.**

 **That being said, on with the story!**

He watches her sleep. He doesn't know why he does it, why he chose to linger inside her room _hours_ after the medic left. He tries telling himself it's only because they are a team and Kakashi made sure to beat the concept of teamwork inside his skull more times than he cared to count.

On an unconscious level, it could be something more than that but he has always been foolish and prone to push away all the things that stirred old and dusty sensations within him, calling it weakness.

The servants complain. He hears them whispering _if he can call their loud babbling that_ outside the door. They are unhappy with his attitude, called the look he gave them whenever they approached Tenten's unconscious form being that of a hawk's.

He doesn't care. Especially not after what happened.

People come and go frequently. Some to tend to the wounded kunoichi, others try to get him do something else other than watch and sleep _when his eyelids feel too heavy and not even stubborness can stop fatigue from speaking up._

He blatantly ignores those people and waits. He had sent a message to Tsunade immediately after Tenten managed to puke the poison out. Sasuke no longer cared about getting involved in the mission. Not because he feared for his life but if he went to help the damyo, the imbecile who poisoned his teammate might return to finish the job.

He wasn't taking any more chances.

It's Maito Gai, Kakashi's constant headache and eyesore rival who comes barging inside sometime after he sent the letter. The exuberant man surprises him when he looks anything but his energetic self, expression grim and lips pressed into a thin line that he is left wondering if this is really the man who introduced himself to Team 7 after crawling from under a ninja turtle.

The picture, Sasuke decides, looks wrong and it's annoying but he doesn't realize what he is doing until the words leave his mouth.

"She will be fine. You of all people should know what Tenten can endure."

His voice sounds nonchalant even if he feels anything but indifferent about the situation but the mask he had years to perfect falls back into place quickly, almost like a reflex. _Feeling is hurting._ It's an old lesson and he can't really remember who taught it to him or maybe he can but he doesn't want to because not everything has to be about _that_ night and _that_ man. {#1}

Maito Gai had a weird fashion sense, big horrific almost alive on their own eyebrows and speeches about the springtime of youth that should by all means be classified as at least A-rank jutsus but what Sasuke discovered that day was that despite it all, the man was not as stupid as he looked.

And when Konoha's Self Proclaimed Green Beast turned to face him, a proud almost nostalgic blinding smile on his face, he wondered if he really was supposed to be the target of that expression and not somebody else who wasn't there but who Maito Gai got a reminder of all the same. {#2}

"You are absolutely right, young man. Tenten's fire of youth is still burning as beautifully as always! I am confident she will get back on her feet and complain about me embarrassing her in no time!"

Somehow, he did not cringe this time.

The youngest Uchiha stood up to stretch his legs, having reached a conclusion. Watching the two of them, teacher and student, he decided there was no safer place in the world for Tenten than besides Gai-sensei.

"Sasuke."

He turned around and if he was surprised by the sudden change in the jonin's demeanour, he did not show it but he did stop in front of the door, hand on top of the doorknob.

"Don't blame yourself."

He bit back a humourless chuckle because feeling guilty was the privilege of the good and he hadn't been that in years and yet any sarcastic retort that came to mind refused to give voice to his thoughts.

"Were they caught?" he settled for asking.

"Your suspicious were correct. The damyo being a youthful, kind-hearted mellow man was going to attract some traitors who favoured his younger much colder and unyielding brother. We will leave The Land of Iron once Tenten recovers."

"Did they suffer?"

Even if Gai didn't answer him, Sasuke heard it anyway.

 _Good._

He exited the room, hands inside his pockets.

The first thing Tenten was painfully aware of when she opened her eyes was a very vivid _ugly_ all too familiar shade of green. Then the soreness of her muscles and her dry throat registered.

"Our youthful flower has returned to us! I knew the power of youth burns strong within you my dear pupil! How are you feeling Tenten? Do you need the medic-nin? How about some water? Or—..."

She waved her hands frantically, frowning at the feel of numbness that came along with it.

"Gai-sensei, don't worry. I'm stronger than some shallow poison that I'm sure Ino could have created better. How long have I been out?" she asked after eagerly gulping down two glasses of refreshing water.

"For three days."

"Alright, for a second there I thought— WHAT? THREE DAYS?!" Tenten would have jumped out of the bed if her body didn't restrict her movements. Nevertheless, she still tried getting up, albeit in a less desperate manner.

"The medic nin forbid you from getting up just yet." Gai's hands reaching out firmly kept her in place, even as she was struggling.

"Yeah well, I'm my own boss!" she exclaimed stubbornly before a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Sasuke! Is he okay?" the bun haired kunoichi couldn't remember anything after the poison started to spread at a crazy fast rate.

 _Shit, I must have fainted and let him deal with the mess. I'm horrible._

Tenten resisted the urge to knock herself out flat by hitting her head on the wall behind her. She didn't really feel like being out cold for another three days.

"His power of youth burns strongly although they have told me he had refused food and proper sleep until I arrived." her sensei mused out loud, a hand on his chin.

She didn't know if she was supposed to feel flattered or angry. _Maybe a little bit of both?_ He didn't strike her as the type to neglect his wellbeing but again, she didn't really know much about Sasuke, did she now?

 _I have to make it up to him somehow._

If only she knew how to do that.

"Tell you what Tenten. After you eat, you have my approval to search for him."

She couldn't have argued with Gai-sensei on that one even if she wanted. Her stomach grumbled loud enough for all of the Land of Iron to hear.

Once her stomach was no longer empty, Tenten left the warmth of her bed, giving the man clad in green spandex a pointed look, as if reminding him of their agreement so he won't stop her.

Her feet were a little unsteady but nothing that she couldn't handle. After all, she had sustained much graver injures during her match with Temari.

 _This is nothing._

Or that's what she told herself anyways.

She walked quietly and slowly, not really trusting her own sense of balance. Moving from the women's side of the mansion towards the men's one, Tenten was prepared to take the corner that would eventually lead her to Sasuke's room only to stop mid-step when she spotted him outside, sitting down on the porch.

Taking a deep breath, she approached him, sitting down.

She would have thought that he'd notice her much sooner than that.

 _He must really be tired._

"I'm sorry."

Tenten was not the type to apologize unless she really believed she had to and now was one of those times. She had been more of a burden than aide on this mission.

"What for?" he sounded so genuinely confused that it made her smile, if just a tiny bit.

"I'm not Sakura-san, you know. You don't have to sugarcoat anything. Tell me my actions were stupid, I know that much."

When he turned to face her, giving her a look as if to say _do i look like the type to sugarcoat stuff?_ Tenten felt stupid. This was Sasuke she was talking to. Not Lee, or Naruto and not even Neji who for all of his stoicism and past talk about genius beating hard work never told her anything to hurt her feelings after she lost in the Chunin Exams. He didn't praise her either or give her empty untrue compliments on her performance but he didn't put her down like he did with Hinata during their fight or with Lee on a daily basis.

The feminist in her didn't like being treated as a breakable object. However, that side of her was often in the wrong, making her jump to conclusions. Knowing that now, Tenten shook her head. "What were you doing out here anyways?" The 'you should be sleeping and eating for all the time you didn't' remained unspoken.

"Hn, thinking."

Narrowing her eyebrows, she frowned. "You weren't busy glaring at the ground again, were you?" she asked and in that moment she could have sworn Sasuke smiled but it could have just as well been a smirk and by the time she blinked it was already gone so she really shouldn't be teasing him but oh well... "Was that a smile I saw?"

He scoffed at her statement. "The time you spent in a comatose-like state must have affected your perception Tenten." he paused, then smirked, effectively taunting her and turning the tables in his favour. "Perhaps you need one of Gai's speeches to get you back on the right track."

She would have retorted, make a comeback, as smart and sarcastic that it'd make Shikamaru proud but she was too shocked by the realization that Sasuke, ice brick, monosyllabic genius was doing this and with her.

A few minutes later of complete silence because Tenten had chosen not to say anything and not because the shock didn't wear off, because it had, and pretty quickly, the dark haired Uchiha focused his attention back on her.

She made sure to offer him her most content and supportive smile, trying to say without words that what happened was not his fault and well, if it seemed like the corners of his lips titled upwards as well but not as obvious as hers did, it could have been just a trick of the moon's pale light.

 **A/N: Was it too corny? Was Sasuke OOC? Did I bore you guys to death? Did I do a bad job with involving Gai into the picture? I can't wait to hear your opinions, good or bad. I'm mature enough to handle constructive criticism, I'm still learning, after all. Also, maybe some of you have noticed that I left two of these {#number} during the story. It was no mistake, it was on purpose and I'm going to tell you why. It's a game of some sorts. These {#...} signify indirect references to canon stuff. The first one is pretty easy, so I'm more curious to see if you guys can guess correctly what's the second one about.**

 **Until next time mina!**


	9. Chapter 9

It was the middle of afternoon, the sun was shining brightly and Tenten was in highspirits ever since she came back from the 'more or less' failed mission.

Seeing metal and rocks everywhere she looked got old, really fast. Aside from the awful climate and surroundings, she wasn't particulary fond of dodging make-up and _glitter_.

It was a relief to finally have her buns 'safe' and no expectations on her shoulders. Well, other than the ones that she decided for herself but that was another matter entirely.

However, if one were to ask her what she had missed the most they wouldn't be surprised in the slightest, not that Tenten lived to make people question her existence every few days but she didn't see the point in acting like anything less or more than how she truly was.

 _There is no need to wear a mask when you are home._

She thought blissfully, closing her eyes and firing kunai after kunai towards the sheer number of targets scattered around the training ground.

She had definitely missed this the most.

Only when she was finally out of breath _and_ arsenal, did she open her eyes. To find a moody Hyuga Neji with a kunai stuck in his leg.

It was because Tenten knew him that this freaked her out. Her stoic teammate had never had a problem dodging whatever came his way so for him to be left in that predictment could only mean two things.

A) Her speed miraculously increased even though she had done nothing in the past two weeks other than deal with the mission and stay in bed until recovery.

B) Neji's efficiency when dodging had somehow drastically dropped during the time she was away.

And both options were funny.

"Why did you wait until I was done?" she demanded, narrowing her eyebrows before she approached him, pulling out a scroll, the one she kept for medicine and bandages, fixing him with an incredulous look.

"I saw no point in hindering your training." came his reply, even and collected, as if Tenten'd expect anything less.

" _Our_ training, Neji." she stressed the first word, cutting with a pair of scrissors some bandage. She dimly took notice of the fact that he wasn't stopping her from helping.

 _The least he can do is hold still and stop acting like he needs to do everything by himself._

Before she could have tried to pull out the kunai out of his leg, he took it upon himself to do it. The fact that he merely released a grunt of pain stopped amazing her a long time ago.

"I don't understand. Why didn't you dodge?" That question, adressed to anyone else, would sound like having expectations, like a scolding or even a insult.

It was anything but.

Tenten knew Neji and for him to allow something to get in the way of his perfomance could only meant that it was important. So she was doing nothing but trying to find out the reason behind his slip up.

"I got distracted."

 _Okay so that's his synonyme for "Something is bothering me."_

She nodded, deciding to humor him nevertheless as her hands carefully cleaned away the blood so it wouldn't get infected. "By?"

"My thoughts." came the curt reply.

Tenten sighed, trying to figure out if he was just being Neji by answering like that or if there was more to it. That was the tricky thing about having antisociable friends. Normal, logical stuff didn't exactly apply to them. Anyone else, say Ino, for example and she'd be cornering her to stop evading her questions.

She didn't have that luxury where he was concerned.

Because it was quite clear that there'd be no more talking on the subject, the brunette finished patching him up ( one of the advantages of getting herself injured so many times in the past, before weapons became her and she became them ), then said. "I'm sorry and I think I don't have to tell you that what I did is a temporary fix." she was serious about it, the wound had been deep and if he were Shikamaru, Tenten would have gotten as far as to accuse him of sleeping during their training.

Neji just raised an eyebrow, as if he understood her but that didn't mean he agreed. "Thank you, Tenten."

While she appreciated his gratitude, she was serious and flattery was not going to stop her from nagging. And if he was really that against hospitals, like most of the male shinobi population...

"Word around our age group is that Sakura has been training under Tsunade-sama for some time now." Just because the esteemed woman was her idol and she could never flaunt perfect chakra control as one of her skills that didn't mean she didn't wish the pinkette good luck.

She was all about girl power and pulling hair because one had what you didn't was an extremely stupid thing to do.

Neji didn't look very impressed, however.

"Ino would be another option." she suggested, if only because she knew he'd agree even less. The blonde wasn't that bad, but try telling that to her reserved teammate.

Tenten left him with his "distracting" thoughts after cleaning up after her training session, able to hear just before leaving a very resigned and still dignified Hyuga Neji quietly say: "Haruno would be the lesser evil of the two."

She grinned.

...

By now Sasuke's mission with Tenten was public knowledge. He understood why, she had gotten poisoned during it and people were about to know whenever one of their comrades came close to dying.

Yet it didn't change the fact that it was annoying. It was especially irritating when he had crossed paths with the male members of Team Gai. Rock Lee had acted decent enough if only more eccentric than usual which shouldn't have been a surprise.

On the other hand, if 'Bushy Brows', as the dobe had nicknamed him, thanked him for making sure Tenten was going to live, the Hyuga was under the impression that it was his fault their female teammate came even remotely close to dying in the first place.

In the end it all came down to glares and silent promises of a match that should have occured months ago between them. Sasuke had refused to defend himself or to give any information about what and how it happened. It seemed Tenten held Hyuga Neji in high regard and he knew the feeling of not wanting to appear weak better than anyone.

Making Sakura promise not to tell Naruto about the curse mark during the Chunin Exams was such an example, as reluctant as he was to admit it, even if just to himself.

He strode along the crowded streets of Konoha, noticing that most of the damage left by Orochimaru and the Sand village had been taken care of during the time he had been in the Land of Iron for the mission.

His curse mark pulsated, as it often did whenever his thoughts happened to drift towards it's creator. It wasn't as painful as it had been in the beginning but it was enough to remind him of what could have been, of the power he refused to have.

Sasuke strived to kill Itachi one day and his resolve was never going to waver. However, the means in which he succeeded to do so, that was something left for debate still.

 _Had I been foolish to give up the opportunity of going to Otogakure?_

He didn't have those kind of thoughts daily but he had them often enough that it made him doubt whether he had been wrong not to leave Konoha that night when he had planned to.

The fact that there were reminders of the family he loved and lost in the most brutal way everywhere he looked didn't help either.

Another wave of pain hit him, this one more violently than the last. He clutched the back of his neck, gritting his teeth to stop any tormented sounds from escaping.

Sasuke downright refused to slouch or let his agony show any more than in the frown marring his forehead and even that was too much for his liking. Civilians gave him looks as he walked past them. He was used with the attention but in situations like these it unnerved him even more.

"Sasuke."

At the sound of the familiar voice, he turned around, schooling his features and body posture into one that his tou-sama would have approved of.

"Tenten." he acknowledged, aware of the way she was looking at him.

For a second, he wondered whether she found out about him and the Hyuga having a disagreement. His theory was soon reduced to dust, however.

"Are you alright?"

Was he?

How many times had somebody asked him that? How many times did he refuse to answer, glaring instead, because the world was unfair. He was alright and here, but they weren't.

It didn't sit right with him. Not all.

But contraire to other cases, he knew the bun haired kunoichi was not reffering to his emotional and mental state. It was a relief, although not much better than the alternative.

"Tch, I'm fine." he replied, more harshly than he intended but he forgot Tenten was not Sakura, nor one of his fangirls. His answer didn't drove her away or resulted in crying. If anything, she seemed concerned but not pitful.

"I didn't mistook you for a liar."

The shock that response left him with took a while to shake off. Tenten wasn't opposed to the idea of standing up to him.

It was something new and he couldn't decide yet if he liked it or not. Try as he might, the sheer number of his fan girls did make him a bit concieted.

Deep down.

Not that he'd ever admit it.

But it wasn't in the way people'd think. He didn't care he had their attention, admiration and devotion. Didn't care about them, period. Though Sakura was a different story, had been since the incidents that happened in the Forest of Death, saying he felt anything more than respect for the time she took care of him and a sense of duty to protect her as they are part of the same team, would be a stretch.

Sasuke merely took pride in the fact that he had success on all accounts, as deemed of an Uchiha, deemed of what his parents would have wanted of him.

"I've gotten used with it." he refused to elaborate any further.

Tenten didn't took that well either. Sasuke narrowed his eyebrows at her, daring her to push for more and when she approached him, prying his hand away from the curse mark, he wondered why he didn't hold on stronger.

He watched her reaction silently. She didn't say anything for a long time and she didn't touch the curse mark either. Whether out of disgust or respect for his condition, he wasn't sure.

She had a knowing look in her eye, as if somehow she had expected to see something like it. Then he vaguely remembered that she had been one of the few to witness him lose control of himself immediately after waking-up, the curse mark extended all over his body like black stains.

"Do you regret staying?" Tenten asked him, meeting his eyes, her own conveying the massage that whatever his answer would be, she wanted the truth. Not the refusal to give one, not a lie.

Sasuke recalled what she told him a month ago inside his hospital room, right after he recovered from the power of his brother's Sharingan.

 _"It's not the end of the world." She had began, her eyes flickering around the room as she gathered her courage to keep going. "Sulking and glaring at people won't change what happened." with every word, her body got braver, bolder and Tenten was soon standing near his bed. "Sooner or later you will get your rematch Sasuke but before that times comes...make sure there will still be people left to celebrate with after you win."_

Finding the answer to his own plaguing question had never been as easy.

"No."

Tenten smiled brightly. "I'm happy to hear that."

It took him a while before he realized that the curse mark stopped hurting.

 **A/N: Okay this one just came out awful. I don't even know while I'm posting it. Is too lovely-dovey, right? And writting from Sasuke's point of view is a challenge on it's own. I always feel like I'm making him be a softie when he is anything but. Anyways, thank you for the positive reviews! They made me smile!**

 **Werewolf6: To answer your question about Sasuke and Neji having a fight in the future over Tenten, all I can say is that may happen or may not. I haven't made my mind up yet but to ask you and all of my readers:**

 **Would you like to read that? Your opinions matter to me. Although I ask you to keep in mind that I can't please everyone, it's not humanly possible. I can only hope you agree and you like what I've done so far here.**

 **Until next time!**


	10. Chapter 10

From all things that she could have expected that day, opening her front door to the sight of a familiar pink haired girl was not one of them.

 _How does she even know where I live?_

Tenten wondered, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes. All those who knew her could testify and confirm the fact that she wasn't a morning person and whenever Gai-sensei gave their team two days off once a week, the bun haired kunoichi fully took advantage of that.

"Ah, Tenten-san, I'm so sorry for waking you up!" Sakura exclaimed with genuine guilt.

For a moment, she reminded her of Lee whenever he forgot they had a day off and came knocking at her door; that had been after breaking inside through the window the first couple of times though.

"It's fine, no biggie." she brushed it off, waving a hand randomly in the air, fighting off the rays of sunshine intruding her home. "You can come inside." she stepped aside, shutting the door after.

Her apartment wasn't much since orphans didn't have a lot to begin with but she had never complained. The Third Hokage had paid all the necessary costs up until she began taking missions, earning money on her own and she was more than grateful to the deceased man. She was positive Naruto would agree with her.

Tenten made two cups of tea for the two of them, having learned since a young age that was the polite way of welcoming guests. She joined the pinkette at the kitchen table before a sudden thought occurred to her. "Did something happen to Sasuke?"

Her straightforwardness caught Sakura off guard but she recovered soon enough. "No, nothing. I just..." she paused, struggling to say what she wanted to.

Tenten leaned down over her tea, blowing off the steam and letting Sakura compose herself. When it seemed she had finally succeeded, she leaned back into her seat, listening intently.

 _She better have a good reason for waking me up this early._

"Ever since Orochimaru placed that curse mark on him, he...is struggling. Sasuke has always been good at hiding what he really feels but it's getting worse as time passes. Kakashi-sensei restrained the mark to the best of his ability during the exams but it's not enough. Even Naruto has started noticing something isn't right."

It was clear to her and probably obvious to everyone that Sakura's affections for the last Uchiha went much deeper now than a mere silly crush. Somewhere along the way, she had matured and that enough spoke volumes about her growth.

Tenten wanted to tell her that Sasuke had it covered, that he was no pushover, as he had proven one too many times but her own conflicted emotions made it hard for her to say it.

 _"I've gotten used with it."_

That's what he told her but did people ever get used with feeling pain?

"I don't know what you want me to do." she replied, openly confused and against any idea of meddling in something that wasn't her business. She didn't think Sasuke would appreciate that, for one and she trusted him to know what was best for his own body andmind.

Sakura opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. Her bangs fell to either side of her face, hands clasping the material of her red dress. "He listens to you." she paused, voice shaking with emotion, meeting the brunette's eyes with a fierce look. "Not to me, not to Naruto and not to Kakashi-sensei. Don't try to deny it, Tenten-san. I overheard what you told him that day inside his hospital room." she revealed, too worried and riled up to care to feel ashamed at the moment. "Sasuke didn't leave Konoha because you visited him that day. It was more than I ever managed to do."

Even now, after weeks have passed since then, Tenten still found it hard to believe that what she said changed things, changed the mind of the dark-haired prodigy. The bond between teammates was supposed to only fall second to the one shared among family so to hear such things saddened her.

"He believes his burdens are his to bear and his alone. And they are." she ignored the shocked glance the pinkette gave her, sipping at her tea. She had been alone from the very start but Sasuke's world had been perfect once, looked that way, at least. To suddenly have all that shatter and fall between his fingertips...

She couldn't imagine what he had gone through. The nightmares, the survivor's guilt, the denial, the frustration. They all made room for one single constant emotion: hate.

"Think about it this way. He lost everything in one night when even the thought of that happening had never even crossed his head." Tenten paused, standing up. She returned with a box of tissues, giving it to Sakura who looked like she might need it. "He fears he might lose us to Itachi as well?" the medic nin in training concluded, blowing her nose into a tissue.

"To his brother, to illness, to enemies..." she trailed off, finishing her tea, lips pressed into a grim line. "If he avoids attachment, he dodges the pain that comes with every bond that gets shattered at some point."

Sakura wiped at her eyes furiously, suddenly sick of crying all the time. "How do you know all of that?" she asked, bewilderment written all over her face.

Tenten smiled sadly. "I've grown-up hearing all sorts of stories at the orphanage. One thing we all share in common is the need to do everything by ourselves."

"That's not healthy." her guest scowled, eventually picking up her mug to drink as well.

"Apparently shinobi have free passing considering what's healthy or not."

Sakura shook her head negatively, visibly amused. "Try telling that to Tsunade-shishou."

The two girls looked at each other, sharing a laugh. They both remembered the time the Godaime caught Lee doing push-ups immediately after his surgery.

"I almost forgot, Neji-san told me you suggested he comes to me the other day after sustaining that injury."

 _He went after all?_

"Thank you, Tenten. There aren't many people willing to let a newbie like me heal them."

"Don't mention it. However, I apologize on behalf of my teammate if he acted like a jerk. Part of his charm."

Sakura giggled. "He was a little difficult in the beginning but things had gone well enough."

"I'm glad to hear that. I gave him an ultimatum though. You or Ino. May you use this piece of information to rub it in her face later."

They laughed some more but there were still a few things staying at the back of her mind that even the light atmosphere hadn't been able to shake off.

"Sakura."

The pink haired girl turned around to face her, stopping outside the door.

"I will try to help Sasuke."

 _If he lets me, that is._

She thought but didn't say.

...

He was sitting in the shade of one of the tall trees surrounding Team Seven's usual training ground. Kakashi might have given them the day off but that didn't mean he wasn't going to practice and improve his skills. If he planned to defeat Itachi one day, he had to be better than yesterday and worse than tomorrow.

It was foolish, the way most people believed that the strength he is possessing now was gifted to him at birth. It wasn't. He had to work for it just as hard as the rest and he will have to get even better because unlike them, he is alone and the man who massacred his family is still daring to breathe.

The curse mark tempts him, often enough that it hinders his progress. Sasuke understands now what his cousin Shisui once told him.

 _"The hardest battle is always among ourselves."_

Three Chidori later. _Three,_ because that was still his limit and no amount of trying seemed to change things, he had decided to take a break. Back pressed against the tree, he cracked one eye open to find the bun haired kunoichi besides him. He observed her for a moment, before closing it and shifting slightly to make room under the shade.

Silence was always appreciated but he wasn't dense not to realize that Tenten sought him out for a reason. Sasuke patiently waited for her to speak. When she didn't, he let out a scoff. It would later occur to him that few words or none at all were needed for her to understand him.

"I don't usually shy away from speaking my mind..." she began, then closed her mouth, as if that wasn't how she wanted to express herself.

"You shouldn't."

Sasuke didn't consider himself a curious person but he wanted to hear what was currently getting Tenten so tongue-tied.

"It's a personal matter..." she continued, troubled by the prospect.

Personally, he found it amusing. A soft "che" sound escaped him, lips curling up to form a smirk. "You talk as if that had ever stopped you before."

It was the truth. Before, back when they barely knew each other and the desire for power was like poison to him and the people around him, she came to him, indifferent about what he thought or the way he'd react to having a stranger talk about his revenge and his older brother.

Brown hues fell on the cursed mark attached onto his neck.

 _Aa, this again._

"Your teammates are worried, Sasuke."

Her response was met with stubborn silence. Tenten gave him a stern look, then glanced away from him. "I am too." she added.

He wanted to scoff again, call her annoying and compare her to Sakura.

For some reason, he couldn't. So, poking her forehead with two of his fingers was the closest gesture to it and something infinitely more that he couldn't dwell on. Not now, not yet. Maybe someday in the future. "What do you suggest I do about it?" he questioned wryly.

The pissed off look on her face regarding the forehead poke vanished when she understood that this was Sasuke once again listening and being willing to listen to her advice.

"Tsunade-sama told me she could get rid of it. For good."

Tenten observed him, watched as the cursed mark pulsated, as if aware they were talking about destroying it. She placed her hand on top of his, over the one he had pressed against his neck. It was an impulsive action.

 _What was I even thinking?_

She wondered, inwardly cursing herself but before she could have removed her hand, Sasuke gripped it firmly.

His onyx eyes flickered to her own.

"Don't."

She didn't have to be told twice.

"Remember the protector from the second part of the exams?" Tenten asked.

"Hn."

 _That in ice-cube language means 'yes'._

"Anko-san had been Orochimaru's student once. She was the first to bear the mark and survive it. She lives with it every day." she paused, giving his hand a squeeze. "It's up to you what you choose to do but don't shut people out from your life."

Sasuke squeezed her hand back.

Tenten was too hard to drive away anyways.

 **A/N: Hi guys! This is another update. Uh, this chapter came out a little weird, or at least that's how I feel it did but anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading it! You are the reason I come back to writing this fanfic, after all. Also, after reading your answers regarding the love triangle question, I've decided. There will be none of it. Neji will always care deeply about Tenten and vice versa but nothing more than that. What do you think about Sakura reaching out to our favourite kunoichi though? I personally love the idea of a friendship between the two girls.**

 **werewolf6: I'm glad you liked the chapter and that's a great idea! I approve. Anko will definitely snoop in and help Sasuke. As for who is going to train Tenten...she has a thing for scrolls other than weapons, right? I'm thinking she could develop more in that department. Also, I must thank you for defending me and for trying to reason with the anon who keeps insulting me. Personally, it doesn't bother me any longer but nevertheless, I appreciate what you did.**

 **Coconut: Aw, I could never forget about you guys! I know my updates come slow but so does my inspiration, unfortunately. I also want to make sure that when I start writing, the chapter will be at least decent. You can't imagine how upset I get if I don't deliver to you guys my 100%.**

 **FrostHunter: Firstly, thank you for taking the time to write such a long review! It really made me smile! I'm happy you think I'm doing a good job with the fanfic so far. And yes, I totally agree! Secondly, don't worry, Kakashi will be a badass in my story (not that he isn't in canon) but what you wrote regarding characters state that he knows a thousand jutsu is true! He will train Sasuke better than he did in the anime, I will make sure of it.**


	11. Chapter 11

Tenten tried to stifle the laugh threatening to escape her and spectacularly failed.

"Not a word." Sasuke glared, walking past her. At the moment, soaked from head to toe and pissed off...he looked his age.

She found it cute, to be honest. Not that she'd admit that, of course. There was no point in adding insult to injury. She crossed her arms over her chest, beyond amused. "Anko-san is not Gai-sensei or Kakashi-sensei, huh?"

He threw her a look as if that was the understatement of the century. Translation: the woman was far worse. It seemed Sasuke had seen first-hand what Orochimaru could do to people and wanted to stay as far away from the sannin as possible.

"You don't want to quit, do you?" she arched an eyebrow, knowing she'd be pushing some buttons with that kind of question.

Sasuke's dignified scoff proved her right. "Hn, things have just started to get interesting." he replied, levelling her with a piercing look as if she had just offended him greatly.

Tenten laughed as her hands rose in a placate gesture. "Okay, I won't doubt you again."

He smirked in that smug way of his before his forehead creased into a frown.

It didn't take her long to realize that Anko must have been pretty rough with her training methods. "You could ask Sakura to heal you." she suggested innocently.

Sasuke pointedly ignored her statement. It was her turn to frown this time. She wondered whether he was refusing medical treatment from everyone or just from the pink haired girl. Tenten switched tactics as she picked up her scattered weapons from the training field. "When is your next meeting with Anko-san?"

Sasuke quickly understood where she was going with this. "Aa. Two days from now."

She didn't need to tell him that the next training session will be even harder than the first and that not taking care of himself now will hinder his progress later. "I have some bandages in one of my scrolls." she mused out loud, as if she were talking with herself. Truth be told, Tenten had expected some sort of opposition from his part. Imagine her surprise when Sasuke sat down on the log in front of her, waiting patiently. _So, it's Sakura he has a problem with, not healing in general._ She thought.

She continued. "I can only do the basics. Medical ninjutsu is not my thing." _Although I wish it was._ Tenten mentally snorted. She couldn't even heal a fish. That was how failure in that field of work looked like. The reminder that she will never become like Tsunade, the person she admired most, stung. It always did.

The brunette shook her head and dipped a cloth in alcohol, ready to begin before realizing something obvious, that she should have known from the start. Sasuke's left shoulder was injured, the gash and blood told her as much and she wouldn't be able to work through the shirt. _Which means..._

The Uchiha noticed her hesitation. Of course he did. There was little he didn't see. That's how keen his eyes were, even without the infamous Sharingan activated. Wordlessly, he pulled the dark blue shirt over his head.

Nevertheless to say, Tenten thought that seeing Neji shirtless pretty often had made her immune to boys and their abs. _Wrong_. There were hot guys and then there was Sasuke. In a league of his own. He wasn't overly muscular but he wasn't slim in that area either. Honestly, his skin looked like the work of a sculptor and she wasn't overly exaggerating. With a sigh full of longing, Tenten quickly got over it. She decided to turn blind. The Uchiha had good genes. It was a fact. Sue her for not denying something that was true.

The bun-haired kunoichi started working, ignoring the way she was standing between his legs, the way they were literally breathing the same air now, what with her leaning closer so she could clean the shoulder wound. The silence unnerved her at the moment which was funny when she thought about how much she usually sought it. Tenten blamed Guy and Lee for damaging her ear drums and sanity with their speeches about youth.

"I wanted to be in Sakura's place once." she disturbed the quiet, finding out that if she talked, she could easily stay focused on the task at hand and not on something else. "I idolized Lady Tsunade when I was little. I still do. Kunoichi never got as much recognition as shinobi but she did. Ever since I could remember, I hated the idea of settling down and being reduced to nothing but a child bearer and housewife. I wanted more out of life and heard that becoming a ninja might be my only way out of that pattern. Tsunade-sama only strengthened my resolve."

Tenten didn't know why she was sharing this with Sasuke. Her reasons went deeper than getting her mind off distractions, however. She could have talked about anything else really, yet she chose this subject. Whether he was aware or not, he was easy to talk to.

"What changed?"

She never expected him to be interested and ask questions though. Using a pair of scissors, she cut the amount of bandage she needed to patch him up. "I did when I realized I didn't have the chakra control or necessary finesse to learn medical ninjutsu. Gai-sensei never stopped encouraging me but I knew all the trying in the world was futile..." she trailed off as she finished wrapping up the wound.

"You succeeded though." he told her, as if it was some unquestionable fact that couldn't be denied.

Tenten leaned back, her eyebrows narrowed in confusion. "Patching-up a wound isn't a big deal Sasuke..."

"I wasn't talking about jutsu." he interrupted her.

Brown hues met onyx orbs. The intensity in his eyes was overwhelming and so was the lack of distance between their faces now.

She silently urged him to explain his reasoning, to elaborate. Sasuke didn't say anything more on the subject though. He dressed back with his shirt before saying "Thank you." he stood up but tensed slightly. If Tenten hadn't been near, she wouldn't have noticed it. She kept her eyes on him and not on her surroundings though. "What is it?" she signalled in Konoha's secret code.

Instead of answering, he pulled her up to her feet so they were once more face to face. "Play along." he whispered.

Tenten understood. Someone was following them, someone dangerous most probably and they had to act as oblivious as possible. She wrapped one of her hands around his neck. If the sudden intrusion of his personal space bothered him, Sasuke didn't show it. "Can we take him?" she said, just as quietly, in his ear.

He surprised her by placing one of his hands on her waist. "There is four of them and their chakra feels like Orochimaru's."

Her stomach clenched with dread as she shut her eyes tightly. That scumbag hurt Konoha and killed their Hokage. Now he sent his pawns after Sasuke. Tenten would have liked nothing more than to give them a piece of her mind but knew they were at disadvantage here.

She opened them, watching the curse mark on his neck pulsate. Then her eyes flickered to his own and shook her head no. "You can't use it yet, Sasuke. One training session with Anko doesn't mean..." she protested with rare urgency. So many things could go wrong. She had seen him lose control in the Forest of Death.

"What options do we have?" he hissed, trying to pry her hands off. They were now gripping his shirt fiercely, as if the action would be enough to change his mind.

"They are Orochimaru's followers. What makes you think they don't know how this thing works?" Tenten retorted.

They glared at each other, she was still holding onto him and he was stuck doing the same upon remembering their predicament. _That's the only reason._ Sasuke told himself.

"Look what we got here, guys." a woman spoke, walking out from her hiding spot. She had long, red hair and the smirk on her face promised destruction. Close behind her, there were three freaks. _Each one uglier than the last._ Tenten thought.

"We are sorry for interrupting what looked to be a future, aggressive make-out session." said the black-haired one.

"We are?" the fat one dumbly wondered.

"Of course not. It makes things more devastating for when the Uchiha boy leaves with us." the black-haired one replied.

"Who are you?" Tenten spoke up, letting go of Sasuke and drawing out her kunai, ready to fire.

"Kitty has claws, huh?" Tayuya mocked with a chuckle. "We are the Sound Four. Orochimaru-sama gave us a mission and I intend to complete it. This isn't about you, girl. It's the Uchiha who interests our master."

"You have felt the temptation of power, haven't you, Sasuke?" Ukon asked while his other head continued. "Come with us, and it's all yours."

The boy besides her scoffed. "And end up like the likes of you?" he commented, pride in his voice. Sasuke wasn't about to dishonour his name and the clan. The Uchiha deserved better than having their sole remaining heir go insane in the pursuit of power.

The things Orochimaru could teach him, so could Anko. Besides, his Sharingan was still pretty much a mystery and the only person left alive other than Itachi to possess one was Kakashi.

And he lived in Konoha.

The red-haired woman named Tayuya stifled a yawn with the back of her hand. "All this talk made me feel bored. I say we take him by force."

Kidomaru smirked. "Him and his little girlfriend."

"Orochimaru didn't say anything about her." Jirobo argued.

"I need a new toy. Besides, she'd be our leverage."

Tenten could hardly suppress the anger boiling inside her. She had made up her mind. Her hand reached out for one of her scrolls... "Sasuke, go." she half-whispered,half-yelled.

The look he gave her made it seem as if she had grown two heads over night. "This is my fight." he snapped icily.

"Don't give me that. You saw what Orochimaru did to Konoha, _what he did to you,_ what he did to our Hokage..." she paused, chakra strings forming at her fingertips. "If they take you, our village loses a prodigy and I..." she looked him in the eyes. "lose a friend. I will hold them off, you go search for ANBU, Kakashi-sensei, Anko-san...whomever you stumble across first."

"They will kill you."

The way he said it, so final, as if he truly believed that.

Tenten wasn't overly confident in her abilities either but... She had to do this. Tsunade-sama had ordered her to look after Sasuke. She had promised Sakura that she'd help him and Naruto...

She owed him for getting Neji out of the darkness.

But most of all?

Tenten wanted to save Sasuke for herself because they were comrades and comrades don't turn a blind eye when the other needs help.

Before she could have opened her mouth to retort, however...The Sound Four moved.

* * *

 **A/N: I honestly didn't think I'd come back to this story but here it is, a late, very late update. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and I apologise for leaving you hanging for so long.**


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